Captain America: Brave New World marks Anthony Mackie’s first attempt to fill the leading role once occupied by Chris Evans. Mackie does a fine job taking up the mantle, but he’s saddled with a story in another installment of this particular franchise that owes much more to Tom Clancy than Marvel.
Mackie reprises his role as Sam Wilson, and he’s partnered up with a new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). Their relationship was established in the The Falcon and the Winter Soldier miniseries. Only diehards will recognize the connective tissue between the movie and the series. I’m not one of them.
Captain America is called on by the new President, General Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, replacing the late William Hurt), to restart the Avengers. But before that can happen, President Ross survives an assassination attempt by one of Cap’s friends (Carl Lumbly) and begins his own investigation into why.
As Cap and the President delve deeper and deeper, they discover the assailant from one of the previous MCU movies, who I won’t reveal. However, needless to say, it will be someone who is more or less expected rather than a major twist.
Through a series of complications in the story, Ross eventually turns into The Red Hulk, which leads to a showdown between him and Cap. It has its thrills, but it’s also par for the course, with computerized special effects dominating the action and occasional intercuts of the two actors.
Brave New World doesn’t break any new ground for the MCU and I didn’t really have any expectations going into it. I will admit that I liked most of it while watching it, but I have more than a sneaking suspicion that as the days go on, it probably won’t matter as much.
I do think it’s a passable diversion largely due to some of the action sequences making a back-to-the-basics case for the MCU. Mackie and Ford bring the right level of energy, charisma and a healthy dose of taking the material seriously for — better or worse.
It might be a slight improvement over some of the more recent offerings from the MCU, but I still want to see the wow factor sneak up on us again.
As it is, Brave New World proves there’s just enough gas left in the MCU tank.
Grade: B
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some strong language.)
